TRNC Prime Minister: South Cyprus defense agreement with France undermines regional peace

The Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ünal Üstel, has strongly criticized the new Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed between the authorities of South Cyprus and France. According to him, this deal completely ignores the island’s long-standing political realities, the fundamental principles of international law, and the fragile balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Üstel stressed that the agreement creates a legal basis for the permanent military presence of foreign troops on the island, effectively turning South Cyprus into a staging ground for the deployment of foreign contingents. The TRNC Prime Minister noted that such unilateral steps by the administration of Nikos Christodoulides intensify polarization in the region and undermine the UN’s diplomatic efforts to resume peace dialogue. The head of government added that long-term stability in Cyprus is only possible through recognition of the sovereign equality of the two peoples and the equal international status of the two states.